Chemicals & Raw Materials: Why it breaks S2P Suites - Dheev Arulmani from Valdera

EPISODE SUMMARYDheev Arulmani, COO and co-founder of Valdera, joins James to unpack one of procurement tech's most underserved areas: chemicals and raw materials sourcing. He explains why this $6 trillion, hyper-fragmented category breaks generic source-to-pay suites, and how Valdera's verticalised, AI-native approach handles infinite spec permutations, regulation and supplier data. Essential listening for direct materials buyers and anyone weighing up whether to choose a horizontal suite over a specialist platform.GUEST BIODheev Arulmani is co-founder and COO of Valdera, the AI-native sourcing platform for chemicals and raw materials he launched in 2021 with his sister Sruti. Previously an Engagement Manager at McKinsey in its chemicals and agriculture practice, he led supply chain and procurement transformations for large manufacturers. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering and Economics from MIT and earlier worked in electrochemistry research and venture investing.KEY TAKEAWAYSWhy chemicals can't be sourced like finished goods, infinite spec permutations demand purpose-built data infrastructureHow verticalised platforms beat one-size-fits-all suites for complex categoriesWhy "start small, prove value, scale up" beats boiling the oceanHow storytelling across stakeholders unlocks procurement's real valueTIMESTAMPS[00:02] Meet Dheev and Valdera[05:11] The upstream data problem[07:19] Where legacy suites fall down[32:55] Key skills that direct procurement teams need[34:15] The future of source-to-pay suites[38:14] Where to find ValderaRESOURCES & LINKSConnect with Dheev Arulmani on LinkedInBook a demo of ValderaDownload our Tech Map for Mid-MarketDownload our Tech Map for SMEsFind your perfect procurement tech solution in our Software Finder AppSign up for the EntProc NewsletterBook an Intro Call and let's talk all things Digital Procurement!Connect with James on LinkedIn